Flying-machine.



J. L. WALKER.;- FLYING MAGHINBL APPLIOATIOE FILED-AUG. 26, 1910.

J. L. WALKER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1010.

Patented June 20, 1911.

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Jaz/zes ZW/lier J. L. WALKER,

FLYING MACHINE. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1919. 995,1 91. Patented June 20, 1911.

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J. L. WALKER. FLYING MAGHINB. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, y1910.

Patented June 20, 1911.

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@my 5m @Homey 'unrrun ,sTA'ijus- JAMES nns'rnn wAnKEn, 0F EAGLE PoIN'r,OREGON..

Specification of Letters-Patent. Patnted June 20, 191.1,

Application led- August 26,' 1910. Serial No. 579,008.

To all whom 'it may concern:

" Be it known Vthat I, JAMES L. WALKER, a'

citizen of the United States, residing at Eagle Point, the county ofJackson'and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Flying-Machines, of

which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to flying machines of the 'heavier-than-air type,one obJect of which means may also bemanually operated for maintainingthe equilibrium f themachine and for steering and banking the machine inmaking a turn.

A'furt-her object of the invent-lon is'tp prio` vide a novelconstruction and arrangement of ailerons for controlling the lateralbalance anda laterally adjustable linnormally operating to preventlateral delectionlof the machine from its course and operable inconjunction with the ailerons to 4control the turningmovem'ent of themachine in either Y direction.

' A still further objectl ofthe invention is to provide a novelconstruction Vof gyroscope for automatically controlling the' balancingdevices, and means for rendering the gyroscope inoperative atany time'so that the balancing devices may be manually controlled.,

A still further object of the invent-ionis to provide balancing ruddersof a type which automatically equalize the pressure of the air upon thesurfaces thereof to maintain the rudder in a determined rposition ofadjustment.

With these and other objectsin view, the

`invention -consistsof the features `of construction,-combination andarrangement of., parts, A hereinafter claimed reference being had to thefully described and a accompanying drawings', in which :w-

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing vthe application of the invention.to a machine of the biplane type. Fig."2 is a top lplan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view \'in perspective, showing thedevices for sewings or sections thereof. Fig. 6 is a seetional elevationof the gyroscopic controlling device. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of theoperating elements for manual control.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main frame of a flyingmachine of the biplane type, to which the invention is lshown-in the^present instanc applied, although itis to be understood hat it is notlimited in application thereto, as the essential features of theinvention may be empldyed with equal efficiency upon other mutiplanemachines or u on monoplane Inachines. AIn the illustrat1on,'2 and' 3designate the upper and lower supporting planes or surfaces of themachine, 4 the pilots seat, 6 the propeller, and 7 the driving motor,all of which may be constructed vand arranged in any suitable manner.

Extending from the frnt of the mainl frame 'is a framework 8 supportinga horizontal rudder 9, and extending from the rear of the main frame isa framework 10 supporting a similar horizontal rudder 11, bel'ow whichlatter is arranged a vertical rudder 12 which may be operated by asuitable manually-controlled connection for steering the machine undernormal service in a horizontal plane. The'rudders 9 `and lll areconnected for movement in opposite directions in unison, as hereinafterdescribed, for steerand preferably, on a line between vsaid planesv in abiplane structure and below the level of the supporting surface in amonoplane structure, are lateral balancing rudders or ailerons 13. and14 which 'are normally dis-V posed in a horizontal plane orsubstantially so and connectedlfor movement in unison in oppositedirections.-

Disposed above the upper supporting surface 2 at a point substantiallymidway between its lateral margins and normally eX- tending in avertical plane coincident -with the central longitudinal line of themachine is a laterally movable st-ability 4fin or plane 15. This planeor lin, in its norinal position,

tends to prevent lateral'deflection of the ma- .ing the machinevertically and balancing the chine from its course, and is movable linrewerses direction' simultaneously with the ailerons to ,assist inmaintaining lateral stability and to facilitate the bankin .of themachine in making a turn. The n is so connected up for operation withthe ailerons as to present its resisting surface toward that side of themachine at which the aileron is depressed, or toward the aileronpresentl ing the lesser angle of incidence, to retard vthe forwardmovement of the depressed side ofthe machine and thereby counteract thetendency to the retardation of the. forward movement of that' side ofthe machine at which the aileron is elevated, Vand .which describes thelarger are in the turning movement. j

The rudders 9, 11, 13, 14 and 15 are similar in construction to eachother, such rudl15 ders differing only in their mode of mountj ing tothe extent that the rudders 9, 11, 13v

front and rear pulleys at each side of the frame being connected by acrossed belt 20. The body of the rudder is composed of two vaines,planes or sections 21 and 22, the forward vane 21 being fixed at itsfront edge 210 to the shaft 17 and being of,a proper ,size to fold orswing between the side ieces 16, while the vane 22 extends beyond t eframe and is rigidly connected at=its forward edge to the shaft 18.Under normal conditions the two vanes lie in longitudinal alinement andform in effect a single surface for the 'pressure of the air thereon.4If, however, either vane or section of the rudder is subjected to agreater ressure than the other section, it will be .shlfted at an anglein the direction toward which the air current flows and will at the sametime transfer motion through the connecting caring to the other plane,which willbe s ifted 'to a correspending angle in the reverse direction,thvs equalizing the pressuresupon the surfaces of the vane 1n an obviousmanner.

Connected at their outer or upper ends to the frame portions of therespective vanes L 9 and 11, at' points in advance of the shafts 18,which are journaled at their ends 1n theA frame structures 8 and 10, andthus form the horizontal axes on which .said vanes dswing, are-controlling cords or wlres 23 and l 24 which 'extend downwardly andinwardly ,towardthe main frame over suitable guid pulleys and carry attheirlower free ends pulleys 25` and 2 6 around which pass .a loopedcord or wire 27T One stretch'of this cord or wire 27 is wound inopposite directions'around -a drum or ulley 28 on a -shaft 29, while theends'of t e cord orwire formingthe opposite stretch thereof areconnected at -diametrically opposite points to .65 a disk or` head 30formlng a floating bearing its-upper end a sprocket wheel or pulley 34by which it is driven by al chain or belt 35 from the driving motor 7 orany other suit- 75 able xdriving device, by which the gyroscope isconstantly driven while the machine is 1n Hight. The shaft section 31is' provided at f its upper end with a yoke 36 rigid with the ring-bkehub 37 of the Igyroscope wheel 38, which hub is provided atdiametrically opposite sides with bearings v39 in which are journaledtrunnions 40 'projecting froma bearingl ring 41 inclosed by the hub,whereby the shaft section 31 and wheel 38 are adapted to have tiltingmotion in one direction. The lring 41 is formed at right angles to itstrunnions 40 with bearing o enings receiuing trunnions 42 projecting roma ball or approximately circular head 43` fixed on the'lower end of theshaft section 32, whereby the shaft section l31 and wheel 38 are adaptedto have tiltin motion in a direction at right anglesl-to t e tiltingmotion above described. Thisconstruction pro- 95 vides a gimbal jointconnection between Vthe stationary'or fixed shaftsection 32 and the vlgyroscope wheel and swinging shaft sectionv 31, by vwhich relativetilting motion between said fixed and swinging sect-ions is permitted10@ both lon itudinally and laterally of the ma' chine, al owin theshaft section 32 to tilt in both-genera directions'with the machinewhile 'the shaft `section 31 remains perpendic-A ular through' theaction4 of the gyroscope 105 wheel 38.

Gonpected at their outer `ende-with the frame portion of the respectiveailerons 13 and 14 1n advance of their fulcrum' shafts 18 arecontrolling cords or wires 44 and 45 110 which extend downwardly andinwardly to the main frame over suitable guide pulleys and are providedat their 'inner orf free ends with-pulleys 46 and 47 around which pass aj looped cord or wire' 48. One stretch of this 115 cord or wire 48is'wound in opposite direc-- tions around a drum or pulley 49 on a shafty50, while the free ends 'of thecord or wire forming the oppositestretch thereof are conf nected with the head or disk 30 at diametri-120 cally opposite sides thereof and at right angles to the points ofconnection of the .ends

thereby manually operate the horizontal rudders and ailerons. Leadingfrom the respective ailerons 13 and 14 are cords or'wires 51 and 52which pass over suitable guide u pulleys and are connected with oppositesides of the frame portion of the stabilityv rudder or fin l5 at a pointin advance of its fulcrum shaft, whereby said rudder will beadjusted inthe manner before described with the ailerons. Secured to the head ordisk 30at their llower ends are cords orwires 53 and 54,

which are attached to diametrically opposite sides of said head. Thecord 53 extends upwardly and forwardly over a guide pulley p 55 to onedf thearms of a bell crank lever 56 larly connected with the lever 56,the said cords forming a looped flexible connection which 'isn normallyslack and permitsthe movable member of the gyroscope to have universalmotion under the tilting move# 2 5 ments of the vessel, but which isadapted to be drawn taut by adjustment of said lever 56 to hold the head30, and consequently i the movable member of the gyroscope, fixed withrelation to the main frame, so that at anytime the gyrosc'ope may bethrown'ou't of action as respects its control of the horij/zontalrudders and ailerons for the auto-- matic operation of the same. Thelever 56 is providedwith suitable means for locking 35, it in its twopositions of adjustment.

40 cord 27 into sections connected with the respective rudders and thefloating bearing head 40. Hence,when the machine tilts upwardly andrearwardly, the section. of the cord 27 connected with the rudder 9 willbe drawnvupon to depress the forward end of said rudder, while thesection of the cord 27 connected with the rudder 11 will be slaokened,allowing \said rudder to be re- A moved in the reverse direction by thepressure of the air,iso that by the downward pressureof the air on therudder 9 and the upward pressure of the air on the rudder 11 thelongitudinal balance of themachine will be restored. Similarly in theautomatic control of the 'ailerons' 13 and 14 to maintain the lateralbalance the drum 49 will serve as a fixed point separating the cord 4 8into sec# tions respectivelyjconnected with the aile-f rons and thefloating bearing head 30, so that when the machine tilts in onedirection or the other the section of the cord 48 connected with theaileron on lthe ,ascending side will be drawn upon topull such ailerondown, while'the section of the cord 38jconnected with the aileron onthe'depressed side will be slackened, allowing the aileron to be forcedupward by the'air pressure, the reverse pressures of the currents of airon the two aileronsthus serving to restore the normal lateral balance. Y

Under the conditions above mentioned it will be apparent that therudders and ailerons will be solely under the automatic control ofthegyroscope, as 'the cords-27 and 48 cannot `be operated by the actuationof the ldrums 28 and 49 since a pull upon i i either of said cords willresult simply in imparting a swinging mot-ion therethrough to themovable section of the gyroscope. By, however, adjusting the lever 56 tomake movable section of the gyroscope will be fixed against movementrelative to the frame of thel machine and will constitute a fixed pointto which the ends of the cords 27 and 48 are connected, allowing thesectionsof either cord connected with the drum of' its manuallycontrolled operating shaft 'to be respectively taken up and paid out topull upon the connection leading to one of the rudders or' ailerons andsimultaneously slacken the connection leading to the other rudder oraileron, allowing the pilot to have complete manual control forbalancing the machine laterally and longitudinally and steering themachine both vertically' and horizontally. It will thus be seen thatwhile the balance of the machine -will normally be automaticallypreserved in flight to the action of the gyroscope, the operator may atany time assume complete control for'steering and taking care of anyextraordinary contingencies which may arise. Having thus described myinvention, I claim z- I 1.*In a flying machine, the combination of aframe carrying a supporting surface, balancing devices, a gyroscop'eincluding a gravity-controlled pendulum` rotatable the connect-ion53--54 taut,- the head 30 and connections between the head and balancingdevices for operating the latter under the swinging `movements of thependulum, means operative upon the head to hold the pendulum yfrommovement, and manually vcontrolled means for actuating said operatingconnections when the pendulum is held from swinging movement.

2. In aw flying machine, the combination l of a -frame carrying asupporting surface, balancing devices, a gyroscope including agravity-controlled swinging l pendulum rotatable therewith, a memberswiveled to vthe pendulum, a looped, flexible operating runningengagement with said connections,

means for holding the swiveled member 4:from movement to stay theswinging motionof the pendulum, and manually operable controlling meansengaging the looped flexible connections. 1

` 3. lIn flying machine, the combination of a' frame having a supportingsurface, pivotally mounted balancing rudders, a gyroscope .includingaswinging member inlluencedl bythe tilting of the machine, a

head swiveled to said swinging member, a.

looped,` flexible operating element` connected by .one of-its stretches'to the head, a

winding drum connected with the other stretch of the operating element,flexible connections having pulleys engaging the operating element andleading to the balancing devices, and means under control of theoperator and connected `wit-h the head for holding the pendulum againstswinging movement.

4. In a flying machine, the combination of lateral and longitudinalbalancingdevices, a gyroscope including a pendulum influenced by theYtilting of thel ma chine, a head swiveled to the vpendulum, looped,lexible operating elements, each lconnected by one of its stretches withthe` head, manually operable winding drums connected with the oppositestretches of the respective flexible operating elements, flexiandprojecting at `their, ends beyond thel same, a front vane adapted tofoldwithin the frame, and connected at its forward end to the fronttransverse shaft, a second vane extending rearwardly from the frame fand connected at its forward end to the rear transverse shaft, pulleysupon -the extended ends of the shafts, and crossed belts connecting thepulleys at each Aside of the frame, whereby when one vane is moved byair pressure in either direction the other vane will be simultaneouslyadjusted to the same, degree in the reverse direction. Y In testimonywhereof I- affix my signature V1n presence of two witnesses.

JAMES LESTER Witnesses:

C. SPAINTER,

FRED PETTIGREW. v

WALKER.

